The publication Bloomberg has released a transcript of a phone conversation between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin’s advisor Yuri Ushakov, during which the preparation of an American peace plan for resolving the war in Ukraine was discussed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Details of the Conversation and Preparation of the Peace Initiative
According to media reports, the call took place on October 14 – the day after the signing of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. The transcript reveals that Witkoff advised Ushakov on how to ensure a positive response from Donald Trump to the peace plan. Witkoff also recommended making this call before Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House.
On the day of the conversation, the US president criticized Vladimir Putin on his social media, stating:
“I don’t know why he continues this war. He just doesn’t want to end this war. And I think it puts him in a very bad light”.
On October 16, phone negotiations took place between Trump and Putin, after which their upcoming meeting in Budapest was announced. On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington.
Content of the Negotiations and Key Proposals
The transcript of the conversation pays particular attention to the possibility of creating a 20-point peace proposal, similar to the “Trump Plan” for Gaza. Witkoff emphasized that reaching a compromise between the parties is a challenging task, but achieving a peace agreement is possible. At the same time, he noted that the agreement could include issues regarding Donetsk and a possible exchange of territories, although the conversation stressed the need for positive rhetoric and hope for the success of the agreements.
Bloomberg does not disclose how it obtained the recording of this conversation. Previously, the publication had already released a transcript of Ushakov’s conversation with negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.
Last week, a draft of the American peace plan was made public, which proposed holding elections in Ukraine 100 days after the signing of the agreement, enshrining the country’s non-aligned status in the Constitution, and abandoning NATO membership, as well as limiting the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to media reports, the limitation could concern 600,000 servicemen.
On November 23, Ukraine and the US discussed an updated concept of the peace plan in Geneva. As stated in the joint statement of the White House and the Office of the President of Ukraine, the concept guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and contributes to achieving a just peace.
The updated plan reportedly contains 19 points instead of 28, excluding the requirements regarding the limitation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and amnesty for war crimes.
The White House stated that there are “a few delicate but not insurmountable details” remaining for the finalization of the agreement, which require further negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the initial Trump plan is considered “a very good basis for negotiations” in Moscow, but they understand the adjustments being made as a result of consultations between the US and Ukraine. At the same time, he stated that Russia has not yet received any updated peace documents regarding the resolution of the war in Ukraine.